About St. Monica · Bardstown, Kentucky
St. Monica Catholic Church is a multicultural Roman Catholic parish in downtown Bardstown, Kentucky, within the Archdiocese of Louisville. Although canonically established in 1956, the faith community's roots stretch back to 1871, when the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth opened a school for Black Catholics on West Stephen Foster Avenue; that school chapel eventually grew into today's parish. Today the parish serves roughly 240 registered families who gather for worship, formation, and outreach in Nelson County, including a long-running partnership with the ecumenical Room in the Inn homeless shelter. The parish is led by Rev. Brandon T. DeToma and Permanent Deacon Scott R. Turner.
- Established
- 1956
- Patron
- St. Monica
- Rector
- Rev. Brandon T. DeToma
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Louisville
Why belong here
St. Monica offers a tight-knit, multicultural Catholic community in the heart of Bardstown where parishioners of every background are welcomed at the altar and beyond. Worship is rooted in a rich African American Catholic heritage stretching back to 1871 and the Sisters of Charity school for freedpeople, and that legacy of faith and justice lives on today in ministries like Room in the Inn, the Bread for Life mobile food pantry stops, the parish Bible Study, and the Wagon of Hope outreach. With Sunday Mass, weekday Mass on Tuesday and Wednesday, weekly confession, monthly Eucharistic Adoration, and a small, personal parish staff led by Father Brandon DeToma and Deacon Scott Turner, it's a place where it is easy to know — and be known by — your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Mass times at St. Monica
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Adoration times
- Last Tuesday of the month, 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Welcome to St. Monica Catholic Church
The community of St. Monica Catholic Church describes itself as a multi-cultural parish who faithfully worships God and proclaims the Gospel. Tucked into downtown Bardstown on South Third Street, the parish is a small but active Catholic community within the Archdiocese of Louisville, serving roughly 240 registered families. The parish's self-description emphasizes worship, Gospel proclamation, and participation in movements to bring justice to the wider community.
- Motto/vision: a multi-cultural parish faithfully worshiping God and proclaiming the Gospel.
- Located at 407 South Third Street, Bardstown, KY 40004.
- Part of the Archdiocese of Louisville.
History of the Parish
Although St. Monica was canonically established in 1956, the faith community's origin lies in 1871, when the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth opened St. Monica School on West Stephen Foster Avenue to serve the children of Black Catholics in the Bardstown area. Black Catholics had long worshipped at St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral alongside their enslavers, but by the early 1940s the community was ready for a parish of its own. Father Michael K. Lally was assigned to Bardstown's Black Catholic community in 1942 and celebrated the first Mass at St. Monica Chapel — a classroom rearranged each Sunday for worship — on All Saints Day that year.
- 1871 — Sisters of Charity of Nazareth open St. Monica School on West Stephen Foster Avenue.
- 1942 — Father Michael K. Lally assigned to Bardstown's Black Catholic community; celebrates first Mass in St. Monica Chapel on All Saints Day.
- 1943 — St. Monica becomes a mission parish.
- 1954 (Jan. 24) — Archdiocese announces plans to build a new St. Monica Church.
- 1955 (Christmas Eve) — First Mass celebrated in the unfinished new church.
- 1955 (Dec. 15) — New school building completed; 121 students walk in procession from the old site.
- 1956 (Sept. 23) — Archbishop John A. Floersh blesses the new church.
- 1960 — Convent built; Father Lally transferred after paying off the $186,000 mortgage.
- 1966 — Parish school merges with St. Joseph School; closes in 1970.
- 1968 — Silver jubilee; church interior renovated.
- 1972 — Sisters of Notre Dame begin teaching the parish school of religion.
- 2000 — Parish participates in RENEW 2000.
- 2021 — Parish marks the 150th anniversary of its roots with a special Mass and commemorative walk.
Clergy & Parish Staff
St. Monica is served by a small pastoral team led by Rev. Brandon T. DeToma, who was appointed pastor of St. Monica and neighboring St. Thomas by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre effective September 14, 2024. A Louisville native ordained in 2018, Father DeToma studied at Saint Meinrad Seminary and the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and previously served at St. Bernadette (Prospect), St. Michael (Fairfield), All Saints (Taylorsville), and St. Bernard (Louisville). Permanent Deacon Scott R. Turner assists at the parish.
- Pastor — Rev. Brandon T. DeToma (since Sept. 14, 2024)
- Permanent Deacon — Scott R. Turner
- Office Manager — Marilyn Keene
- Bookkeeper — Kim Hall
- Housekeeping — Bobby Kimberland
Parish Office & Contact
The parish office is staffed part-time during the week and can be reached by phone, fax, or email for sacramental requests, hall rentals, and general inquiries.
- Address — 407 South Third Street, Bardstown, KY 40004
- Phone — (502) 348-5250
- Fax — (502) 348-3635
- Email — [email protected]
- Office Hours — Monday–Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Sacraments
The parish prepares families and individuals for the sacraments of initiation and healing. A Baptism Information form is published on the parish website and asks parents to schedule a preparation meeting with the pastor or deacon; baptisms are normally celebrated on Sundays and not during Lent except in emergencies. Confession is heard weekly, and Anointing of the Sick and other pastoral sacraments are available on request through the parish office.
- Baptism — preparation meeting required; child Baptism information and Godparent Affirmation forms available on the parish website.
- Reconciliation — Tuesdays 11:00–11:45 a.m.
- Eucharistic Adoration — last Tuesday of the month, 11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
- Anointing of the Sick and other pastoral needs — by request through the parish office.
Faith Formation & Religious Education
After the parish school closed in 1970, the Sisters established a religious education program at St. Monica that continues today as the parish school of religion. The Sisters of Notre Dame took over teaching of the program in 1972. Parishioners also gather for an adult Bible Study each Sunday morning after the 9:00 a.m. Mass.
- Parish School of Religion (Religious Education)
- Adult Bible Study — Sundays, 10:15 a.m.
Outreach & Community Ministries
St. Monica's outreach reflects its founding charism of serving those on the margins. The parish hosts the Saturday-night rotation of Room in the Inn, the ecumenical Nelson County homeless shelter that rotates among local churches each night of the week. The parish also serves as a stop for St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral's Bread for Life Mobile Food Pantry, an outreach of the St. Vincent de Paul ministries that brings fresh and non-perishable food to rural Nelson County communities every three weeks. The parish calendar also lists the Wagon of Hope ministry, the annual Catholic World Missions appeal, and the Archdiocese of Louisville's Office of Multicultural Ministry collaboration, including the annual African American Catholic History Celebration hosted by the parish.
- Room in the Inn — Saturday overnight shelter host, in partnership with Episcopal Church of the Ascension, First Baptist Church, and St. Gregory Catholic Church.
- Bread for Life Mobile Food Pantry — host stop for St. Vincent de Paul's mobile outreach RV.
- Wagon of Hope
- Office of Multicultural Ministry partnership — host of the Archdiocese's annual African American Catholic History Celebration.
- Catholic World Missions appeal
- Crusade for Children
Parish Life & Calendar
Beyond Mass and the sacraments, St. Monica's published monthly calendar (e.g. May 2026) shows a small but regular rhythm of parish life: Bible Study each Sunday after Mass, AA meetings on Thursday evenings, the Bread for Life mobile pantry stop mid-month, parish finance/administration meetings, and seasonal gatherings such as the OMM Leadership Awards Banquet, parish hall rentals, and Mother's Day observances.
- Sundays — 9:00 a.m. Mass, 10:15 a.m. Bible Study
- Tuesdays — Confessions 11:00–11:45 a.m., 12:00 p.m. Mass (last Tuesday: Adoration 11:00–11:45 a.m.)
- Wednesdays — 9:00 a.m. Mass
- Thursdays — AA 8:00 p.m.
- Periodic — Bread for Life Mobile Pantry stop, Parish Hall rentals, Admin/Finance Meetings, special celebrations
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Michael K. Lally1942–1960
Assigned to Bardstown's Black Catholic community in 1942; celebrated the first Mass in St. Monica Chapel on All Saints Day 1942; built and paid off the debt of the new 1956 church; for two decades the parish was called 'Father Lally's Church.'
- Rev. Steven Reevesthrough August 2024
Served as pastor of St. Monica in the period leading up to the 150th-anniversary commemoration; spoke of the parish as 'a great witness of what it means to be African American and Catholic.'
- Rev. Brandon T. DeTomaeffective September 14, 2024
Appointed by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre as pastor of St. Thomas and St. Monica, Bardstown; a Louisville native ordained May 26, 2018; previously served at St. Bernadette (Prospect), St. Michael (Fairfield), All Saints (Taylorsville), and St. Bernard (Louisville).